User Interface Design for Federated Searching Mike Visser, Product Manager Endeavor March 16, 2005

Session overview  The importance of usability  Usability and the right search experience  Why federated searching  Libraries and usability testing

Usability Defined  A measurement of:  An interface’s overall ease of use  The efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction with which end users achieve their goals  A focus on:  Usefulness  Ease of use  Ease of learning

Usability at Endeavor  Endeavor’s Usability Initiative  It’s all about understanding the end user  Elsevier User Centered Design (UCD) group  Usability testing in partnership with customers  Usability work to date  Design and testing of 3 different systems  With over 80 individual end users  At 12 institutions across 3 countries  More planned for 2005 and beyond  Translates into user-focused interfaces

ENCompass UI Project  Redesign of the ENCompass interface  Focus on end user needs in federated searching  A collaborative effort  Elsevier User Centered Design group  University of Rochester Libraries  Loyola/Notre Dame Library  An iterative process  Design, test, validate  Rinse and repeat

A Virtuous Cycle

Feedback from Students  Over half access the library from home/dorm  Would rather research without visiting the library  They want a basic search that’s basic  Google, anyone?  Advanced features for those who need them  Difficulty distinguishing between information resources  High level of frustration  Better labeling and signposts  Wanted: Productivity tools

Libraries and usability  Libraries are information storehouses  Tremendous resources, multiple access points  Uniquely positioned for usability testing  Representative users at your fingertips  Space for connecting with them  The IT resources necessary for testing  Drive the discussion  Understand, Design, Evaluate  Endeavor guide to usability testing 

Conclusion  A focus on usability gives us:  A greater understanding of end users  An opportunity to effect change  Better, more usable interfaces  Happier and more successful end users  … And it’s (relatively) easy to do